Architecture in Helsinki – In Case We Die (Bar-None)
In thinking back over the year 2005 to determine my favorite music of the year, this album still stands head-and-shoulders above the others. A bright, rambunctious album that takes pretty pop melodies and blows them up to larger-than-life size.
Galaxie 500 – On Fire (Rykodisc)
I’m in the process of listening to each CD in my collection, in alphabetical order. I just started the letter “G”. This album in particular has caught my imagination again, with its vivid atmosphere, dreamy guitars, and how absorbing the songs themselves are.
Nada Surf – The Weight Is a Gift (Barsuk)
Nada Surf’s fourth album just keeps blowing me away, with how they take what could be self-help-book cliches (“always love / hate will get you every time”) and fill them with so much honest, heartfelt emotion.
LD & the New Criticism – Tragic Realism (Darla)
Stylish and funny songs about murder and mayhem, with a real core of genuine sadness and anguish underneath. A splendid work from LD Beghtol (of Flare, Moth Wranglers, Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs epic).
Saint Etienne – Tiger Bay (Sony)
I’ve listened to the US version of this album, on cassette, since its release, but I never knew what I was missing until I recently picked up the UK version on CD. Longer and more smoothly put together, it’s making me think even more highly of a sophisticated pop album that I’d already loved.
MC Lyte – Lyte as a Rock (East/West)
I’ve been reacquainting myself with late ‘80s/early ‘90s hip-hop and enjoying it so much. As a teenager I listened to MC Lyte’s second album Eyes on This over and over, but for some reason never back-tracked to her 1988 debut album until now. It’s a classic, showcasing her sharp rhyming skills and wit.
Toothfairy – Formative (Hush)
Chad Crouch of Blanket Music’s electronic experiment is a playful trip through adolescence, set to an equally playful and lovably messy mixture of catchy pop melodies and beats.
Hearing Christmas Music From Afar
I rarely put on a Christmas album myself, but one of my favorite things this time of year is hearing holiday songs in passing, as I walk down the street.
The Work of Director Anton Corbjin DVD (Palm)
The Director’s Label series of music video DVDs has me continually rethinking a medium that I often under-valued. This DVD of Anton Corbjin-directed videos might be the best, with stylish and striking videos from Echo & the Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, and others.
Guided by Voices – The Electrifying Conclusion DVD (Plexifilm)
Guided by Voices were sometimes the best live band ever and sometimes almost painful to watch. This DVD of their final show is somewhere in the middle of that range in terms of performance quality, but here the celebration itself is what’s important. It’s a fun and moving tribute to the talent of Robert Pollard and friends, and also to rock n’ roll.
